Alumnus Profile: Dan Shanks

Aug 13, 2012

Dan Shanks wakes up every day and says goodnight to his wife,
Sophia, through a computer. This is the best and worst part of his
day, all at once. As he begins another tiring, gruesome day of
work, she is calling it quits on another.

This is the life to which Shanks has become accustomed. The 1997
Coker College graduate has served as a human terrain specialist for
the United States government since July 2010. He is currently
stationed in Ghazni Province in Afghanistan.

Human terrain mapping, in essence, is serving as a sociocultural
advisor to the military. For Shanks, who speaks the English, Dari
and Pashtu languages, it involves talking to local Afghan nationals
and gathering their thoughts, grievances and political
considerations using social science research methods to get a broad
sample to validate the findings.

“Basically, we collect as much information as we can in
order to advise the U.S. military how to operate in certain
areas,” said Shanks, a former standout on the Coker
men’s basketball team. “This could involve geographic
considerations, political or tribal battles, or figuring out the
different networks of power players – who’s important,
who’s not.”

Shanks and his team use the information they receive to try and
limit the violence throughout the country. The goal is to provide
operationally relevant sociocultural knowledge that enhances the
decision making process. He says the best part of his job is when
he is successful in helping a soldier make a more informed decision
based on the applied and proven research methods they use, which is
the reason he pursued the position originally.

“I wanted this job because I wanted to work with the best
fighting force in the world,” said Shanks. “Cultural
nuances and information can make all the difference in building
relationships and alienating the public or not in Afghanistan. I
want to help our soldiers understand these foreign countries they
have to fight in and, in some cases, rebuild. I feel truly honored
that our great country has allowed me the privilege of helping
shape even the smallest of decisions.”

While the job brings Shanks plenty of joy, it has its share of
difficult times. His not-yet-three-year-old marriage is waiting for
its chance at consistency.

“It’s challenging to be married and be 8,000 miles
apart,” he admits. “The eight-and-a-half-hour time
difference is tough, too, but we get to talk and Skype every
day.”

Being able to handle conflicts and distractions is nothing new
for the 39-year-old. He’s been on the go ever since he left
Coker to pursue a professional basketball career – one that
lasted seven years in Europe – all the way to his current
location in Afghanistan.

Shanks credits his time at Coker for teaching him how to manage
his life. He left the campus with degrees in history and physical
education with a concentration in physical fitness programming, but
the first challenge involved learning to separate athletics from
academics. And his coach, Dan Schmotzer, and favorite professor,
Mal Hyman, helped pave the way for him.

“Coker really gave me the chance to find a balance,”
said Shanks. “I was an absolute basketball nut. Coach
Schmotzer got me going from a playing standpoint, and Mal helped me
grow up intellectually. Those two also really gave me the chance to
practice positive role modeling. When I was at Coker I was 100
percent basketball. Now, I’d say I’m about 10 percent,
and that transformation started at Coker.”

Shanks’ contribution to the men’s basketball program
is far from forgotten, however. Many consider him one of the best
male athletes to ever don a Coker uniform. Shanks is second on the
school’s all-time scoring list with 1,895 career points. A
knee injury his senior season cost him 10 games and derailed his
chance to be at the top, as he sits 80 points behind the all-time
leader, Dennis Woolfolk.

He still holds multiple records at Coker. Shanks has the highest
scoring average for a season (21.8) and career (18.9), the most
points scored in a season (610), the highest free-throw percentage
in a season (93) and the highest free-throw percentage in a game
(100). He was part of the ’94-95 team that won a
school-record 10 straight games, led the program to a No. 14 rank
nationally in Division II, and is the only player to win freshman
of the year and player of the year honors from the conference in
the same season.

During Shanks’ time at Coker, the men’s team won
more than 80 games and reached the conference championship three
times, winning one. This period changed the dynamic of the program;
winning became common and recruiting battles became easier. A lot
of credit is due to No. 24.

“When you get old, you look back and you ask, ‘How
many times do you really go somewhere that you’ve never been
before?’” Schmotzer said. “You’ll have it
with the birth of a child, death of a parent – it’s
different emotions. The only thing that can take you to a level
like that emotionally is sport. That guy did it to me, not only to
me but for me. I’ve experienced that only a few times in my
life, but he was the main reason for one of them. You don’t
get it often, but when you do, you don’t forget it.

“The difference he made to our college is unparalleled. We
had some success early in my time here, but Dan’s teams
changed everything. He and Missy Paterson were difference-makers
for this school.”

As Shanks worked his magic on the court, he and Schmotzer
developed a bond off of it that continues to this day.
Shanks’ father passed away when he was 15, and he now says
that “coach Schmotzer is like a father figure to
me.”

The two regularly connect over the phone or through Skype. When
Shanks is in town – he and his wife still reside in
Hartsville – he will routinely speak to Schmotzer’s
team. And of all the hardware and memorabilia that fills the
coach’s office, Shanks’ old No. 24 jersey is the
easiest one to find, hanging right behind his desk.

“This bond goes deeper than basketball,” said
Schmotzer. “I know in this profession you’re supposed
to win games and everything, but the payback is the connection you
develop between player and coach. In 39 years of coaching I have a
large family of former players, but this guy is special. I
can’t tell you how tight this is.”

Shanks’ work agreement with the government could last up
to four years. When it breaks again in September, he will have an
opportunity to continue serving or return home for good and search
for a job in the states. For the first time in a while he
wouldn’t have to use a computer to say goodnight to Sophia
– he could just lean over and tell her himself.

Coker College readies undergraduates for personal and
professional success through a distinctive four-year program that
emphasizes a practical application of the liberal arts as well as
hands-on and discussion-based learning within and beyond the
classroom. Coker is ranked among the “Best Colleges” in
the South by U.S. News & World Report as well as
The Princeton Review. Located in Hartsville, S.C., Coker
is within two hours of the cultural, financial and recreational
resources of Charlotte, Columbia, Charleston and Myrtle Beach.